A Wicked Good Time

While most of the good people in the world are against villains, we've decided we're for some evildoers, at least the fictional ones. Just think about it: Books and movies would be so boring if we had to rely only on comic relief and touching moments. Of course, the Diane Keaton of today would have more work if that were the case, for better or for worse, but we'd be lacking someone or something to root for — or against, more accurately. Yep, we need the bad guys, just as much as we need the good guys, which is why an art show celebrating the villain feels irreverent yet perfectly proper. Famous Fictional Villains! opens at the Mad Art Gallery (2727 South 12th Street; 314-771-8230 or www.madart.com) with a free reception from 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday, November 6, and this exhibit shows off all kinds of naughty characters, from Frankenstein to Jaws (the shark, not the James Bond metal mouth), and from Medusa with her mane of serpents to Macbeth's prophesying witches. RFT contributors Kevin Huizenga and Ted May both have pieces in the show, and another RFTer, Dan Zettwoch, served as the curator of the exhibit. He also has a piece in the show that features the big bad wolf in Granny's nightie, Cyclops and others — who knew these baddies were all friends? Famous Fictional Villains! runs through the end of the month, and the gallery is open by appointment.
Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Nov. 6. Continues through Dec. 1, 2009